Is wireless networking secure?
Because wireless network signals travel through the air just like signals used by cordless phones, radios, and other wireless devices, anybody within range can intercept that signal—and potentially view the data being sent back and forth by your computer. In an attempt to protect wireless users from these types of attacks, the technology’s designers created an encryption process for it called Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). When WEP is activated, data sent over the network is encrypted and other users are unable to see in plain text what you are doing. However, due to a design flaw, WEP is easily compromised. An attacker can break the WEP encryption and still view your data by using some readily available programs.
Because wireless network signals travel through the air just like signals used by cordless phones, radios, and other wireless devices, anybody within range can intercept that signal—and potentially view the data being sent back and forth by your computer. Just like law enforcement agencies can wiretap your phone, people on a wireless network can “tap” into your network connection. This means that a malicious user could read your e-mail, steal your passwords or credit card numbers, or intercept any other sensitive data that may be traveling over the network. In an attempt to protect wireless users from these types of attacks, the technology’s designers created an encryption process for it called Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). When WEP is activated, data sent over the network is encrypted and other users are unable to see in plain text what you are doing. However, due to a design flaw, WEP is easily compromised. An attacker can break the WEP encryption and still view your data by using
